MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin volleyball team could not halt a sharp Southeast Missouri offensive attack this evening as the Skyhawks fell by a 3-0 margin (17-25, 15-25, 13-25) to the Ohio Valley Conference leaders.
Dylan Mott scooped up a team-high 18 digs to pace UT Martin (5-17, 3-10 OVC) defensively. Katie Cruise nearly missed a double-double with nine assists and eight digs but the visiting Redhawks hit .333 with only five attack errors in the entire match.
The trio of Kayla Bryant (12 digs), Maddy Gladson (team-best two blocks) and Addy Vaughn (team-highs of .235 hitting percentage and two blocks) each provided a team-best six kills for the Skyhawks. Hannah Haislip divvied out a team-best 14 assists for UT Martin.
Southeast Missouri (14-11, 11-2 OVC) began the match on a 7-2 run before back-to-back kills by Vaughn and Gladson temporarily ended the Redhawk momentum. Moments later, UT Martin scored four unanswered points to pull within striking distance at 12-9 but that was ultimately as close as the Skyhawks would get for the remainder of the set. Mott managed nine digs to lead UT Martin in the opening set.
After a Kristin Phillips service ace tied the second set score at 4-all, the Redhawks went on a 6-0 run. Cruise and Gladson each had two kills over the next six points as the Skyhawks tried to fight back. Vaughn had a hand in three of UT Martin’s final four points of the set (two kills, one block assist) but Southeast Missouri rounded out the set with four unanswered points. Cruise produced three kills in three swings to go along with three assists and three digs in the second stanza.
Kills from Phillips and Jenna Vallée were followed by a Kylie Surratt service ace as the Skyhawks began the third set with three of the first four points. Vaughn put away a kill to keep UT Martin on top (8-7) but the Redhawks scored nine of the next 10 points to take control. Vaughn and Bryant tallied late kills but it wasn’t enough as Southeast Missouri capped off the sweep by ending the match with five unanswered points. Bryant had team-highs of three kills and five digs in the third and final stanza.
The Skyhawks return home tomorrow for Senior Day against the Redhawks. A pregame ceremony celebrating the career accomplishments of Haislip, Josie Hess, Zara McCauley, Mott, Vallée and Vaughn will take place shortly before the 2 p.m. match.
